Toronto’s MoRoCo Chocolat aren’t just about chocolate – they also have a plush dining room and are well known for their macarons too – but it is the chocolate that brought me to them . The typographically nightmarish name comes from the owner’s two children’s names (Montana and Rory), plus an extra “Co” for cocoa – I’m going to revert to the non-capitalized version from this point on for ease of reading.

Moroco Chocolat use Valrhona chocolate to make their truffles, and it shows. This is quite literally the best smelling box of chocolates I’ve had in my hands for a long, long time – it was very hard not to dive right in straight in, but I had to wait until some photos were taken. Such is the discipline required of a Chocablog writer.

It is a wonderfully elegant collection, from the pretty box to the perfectly formed chocolates. The chocolates are all the same little squares with simple decorations, apart from one which almost looks like it showed up uninvited to the party. All very inviting. Here, as always, are the highlights.

Curry In A Hurry

If you are going to make a curry chocolate, it is best not to go overboard and that is the case here. There is a slight curryish murmur at the background that never overwhelms and doesn’t give way to any real heat either. If this was an actual curry then chances are you’d be really disappointed, but as a chocolate, it works.

Marquis De Noir

A simple dark ganache in a 62% shell. Nothing fancy, but perfectly executed as was its milk chocolate equivalent, the Sateen. Smooth, creamy and very tasty – I could quite happily eat a box of just these.

Monkey In The Middle Milk

This is the chocolate that towers above all the others because of the two very substantial layers within. The organic peanut truffle layer is yummy enough, but the combination of strawberry and raspberry jam really pushes it over the top. Apparently it is available in a dark chocolate variety too, but the chocolate really takes a backseat to the interior so I don’t imagine it matters too much.

Hint Of Mint

Never has a chocolate been more aptly named. Ganache with just a hint of mint, and it really doesn’t feel like enough. Those are not fans of minty chocolate might breathe a sigh of relief, but I want to feel like I’ve just brushed my teeth after I eat something with mint in the title. I should look out for Tons Of Mint instead.

Izzat

If it wasn’t for the fact that the little map told me that this was green cardamom, I’d never have known. A really unusual flavour that reminds me of a perfumed tea, but it was handled with subtlety so it never got close to overwhelming the dark chocolate. Not sure if I liked it, but I’d be willing to eat a few more just to see.

Thai Me Up

A delicate balance of lemon and basil, with a hint of mint which quickly disappears amidst the sweet white chocolate. People who like the idea of this will probably like it a lot. I’m kinda on the fence.

Sakura

A Black Forest Gateau in chocolate form. The centre is a heady mix of dark, sweet cherries with a kick of Port to give it some lovely warmth. One of my favourites in the box.

Sugar Bush

There’s no mistaking the very Canadian sweetness that comes from maple syrup, but I had more difficulty detecting the walnuts which are apparently in there. The maple bit is perfectly fine, but it would have benefitted from the crunch and bitterness of some walnuts in there.

Out of the dozen chocolates, the ones that really didn’t work for me were the ones where the flavour was handled with kid gloves – I don’t mind subtlety on occasion, but the meek levels of spice were a little on the disappointing side. The bolder ones were great, especially the fruit ones and they really stood out for me. Somewhere amidst their complete range lies an absolutely perfect box of chocolates, but I’d definitely need to do some more tasting and switch a few out to get there. I’m more than willing to give it a try though.